Carrying-iron for gar-couplings



(No Model.)

T. L. MGKBBN. CARRYING IRON POR GAR COUPLINGS.

Patented June 23,1891.

dit@ 771 Mr A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS L. MCKEEN, OF NEY YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR -TO THE THURMOND I OAR OOUPLING COMPANY, OF VEST VIRGINIA.

CARRYING-IRON FOR CAR-COUPLINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 454,754, dated June 23, 14891.

Application filed March 7, 1891. Serial No. 384,124. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. MCKEEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carrying-Irons for Car-Couplers; an d' I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

f My invention relates to twin jaw-couplers, and is more especially adapted for use with those couplers known as the Thurmond carcoupler and others of the Janney type; and the object of my invention is to provide a carrying-iron which may give the draw-bar a suitable support, allow it sufficient lateral play when coupled, and keep the draw-heads in position for coupling` when uncoupled. With couplings of the J anney type diieulty has been experienced in coupling cars ton gether where the track has a sharp curve, and this is notably the case on the various switches in freight-yards or sidings, where most of the coupling is done, the reason for this diiculty being in the fact that the said cars having been uncou pled on the sharp curves, their couplers remain trending toward the center of the curve, and when a new car comes up with its coupler centered or inclined in the opposite direction the couplers fail to engage. Another difficulty experienced with the forms of carrying-irons most in use is that in going around sharp curves, especially when cars of unequal length are coupled together, the draw-bar acts as a lever and bears hard against the side of the carrying-iron, forcing the ilange of the car-wheel against the rail. To meet the two requisites of lateral play and facility in coupling,l provide two spring-buffers, one on either side of the draw-bar and normally clear thereof, which'tend to force the coupler back after it has been uncoupled in a curve near enough to the center line to allow another carY to represents a plan view of the saine.

' sition, as shown.

couple on readily, and also ease the strain on the drawbar and car -wheels going around sharp curves. v

Reference is had to the accompanying draw- 5o ings, wherein the same parts are indicated by the same letters.

Figure l represents a front view of part of a car itted with my improved carrying-iron, the draw-bar being shown in section. Fig. 2 Fig. 3 represents an end view of my improved carrying-iron. Fig. 4: represents a perspective View oi' one of my side buffers detached.

A represents the draw-bar.

B represents the carrying-iron having outer walls b and inner vertical walls b, separating it into three chambers. The central chamber B is large enough to admit the drawbar A and the buffers O, which are clear of the draw-bar when the latter is in the central po- The two outer chambers B2 contain the, springs D. The Walls b and b are perforated for the corresponding parts c and c of the buffer C. The spiral spring D is made somewhat less in exterior diameter han the shoulder c2 of the buffer C, and is held under tension between the said shoulder and the wall h. The pin e in the hole c3 prevents the buffer from being pushed too far into the chamber B. The carrying-iron is firmly securedv tothe car by bolts F. vIt will be seen that when the draw-bars are in the normal or central position the buffers C are not in contact therewith, and consequently there is no Wear and tear on the draw-bar or on the springs D; but when the cars begin to go round a curve the draw-bar presses against one of the buers, and the spring eases the shock and the strain both on the draw-bars and the car-Wheels. Moreover, when a car is uncoupled with its drawbar drawn toward one side, as in a curve, the spring-buffer on that side will at once restore the draw-head sufficiently near to the central position to allow another car to be coupled on without difficulty.

Having thus described my invention, WhatI spiral spring D, and the pin e, substantially xo claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent as described. of the United States. is In testimony whereof I affix my signature in In a carrying-iron for twin jaw-couplers, the presence of tWo Witnesses. 5 combination, With a metal frame bolted to i the cai;` and having walls b and b', of the buf- THOMAS L. MCKEEN. fers C, sliding Within those Walls and held at Vitnesses: a greater distance from each other than the T. W. GETMAN,

v diameter of the draw-bar between them, the M. C. HAsCALL. 

